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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. cold — an illness
  4. foot — a measure
  5. drill — a practice
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. dip — to sink
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. deal — to handle
  13. last — to go on
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. last — finally
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. last — final
  18. cold — not warm
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. drill — army training
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. drill — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com